Another shot at peace in Assam

New Delhi has not slammed the peace door on the ULFA and is willing to reconcile differences, reports Aloke Tikku.

New Delhi has not slammed the peace door on the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and is willing to reconcile differences.

National Security Adviser MK Narayanan is understood to have told two key peace facilitators on Monday that the Centre was prepared to sit at the peace table with the insurgent group once it sends a written communication notifying the date of the talks.

"The Centre expects the letter and we are hopeful it will be sent soon," Indira Goswami, member of the Ulfa-mandated Peoples' Consultative Group, said after the meeting with Narayanan on Monday evening.

This was the first meeting between the mediators and the Centre since September this year when the government called off the six-week ceasefire, accusing the outfit of stepping up attacks and making extortion demands.

"He told us that the door is still open. The peace process has not collapsed," she said, suggesting that the government did not insist on the letter, as on previous occasions, detailing the composition of the ULFA team of negotiators.

In what appeared to be softening of stated positions on both sides, she also did not point out that the insurgent group would not be able to meet this condition as some members of the ULFA executive were behind bars. PCG members had earlier insisted that the government released ULFA leaders, as the outfit could not give the letter unless all executive members approved the letter.

Goswami, accompanied by another PCG member Rebati Phukan, said they had the mandate of the banned organisation to revive the faltering peace process in the state.

The ULFA leadership had also asked them to convey to the government that the outfit was not responsible for the Fancy Bazar blast in Guwahati earlier this month that killed 10 people.